Your child may need to stay in hospital during this time, or you may be able to look after them at home. Your doctor will advise you about this.

Surgery

Most children will have the "pull-through" operation, where the affected section of bowel is removed and the remaining healthy sections of bowel are joined together.

If your child is not well enough to have this procedure (for example, because they have enterocolitis or a severe blockage), they may have it in 2 stages.

A few days after birth, the surgeon will divert the bowel through a temporary opening (stoma) made in the tummy. This procedure is called a colostomy formation.

Stools will pass directly out of the opening into a pouch worn on your child's body until they're well enough to have another procedure to remove the affected section of bowel, close the opening and join the healthy sections of bowel together.

Information about your child

If your child has been affected by Hirschsprung's disease, your clinical team will pass information about him or her on to the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Diseases Registration Service (NCARDRS).

This helps scientists look for better ways to prevent and treat this condition. You can opt out of the register at any time.